The Indian Premier League is all set to start on 28 March, 2026. Ahead of the IPL 19th edition, Chennai Super Kings, five-time champions, are set to host a unique event featuring former and current players at their home ground, M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, on Sunday, 22 March.
The event is named ROAR’ 26, and will bring together present and past CSK players for an evening reunion and will also serve the franchise’s official pre-season launch ahead of IPL 2026.
The announcement of the event has created excitement among fans, while speculations are emerging that the franchise could be preparing for a major announcement ahead of the new season.
Moreover, officials of CSK have clarified that the gathering is made purely as a pre-season fan engagement.
Also, Singer AR Rahman is set to perform at the event.
Also Read: CSK Make Big Coaching Move Before IPL 2026: James Foster Joins as Fielding Coach
Which Former Players will attend the event?
As per reports, around 20 former players are likely to attend the reunion event along with the current team and staff.
As per business standards, confirmed participations are Matthew Hayden, Muttiah Muralitharan, and Dwayne Bravo, all of whom are currently linked with other IPL franchises in coaching or support roles.
One of the most demanding names in the list, Suresh Raina, popularly known as “chinna thala”, has also confirmed his presence in the event.
On the other hand, Ravichandran Ashwin is unlikely to attend as he will be out of town.
Event Tickets and Timings
The sales for ROAR’26 opened at 11 am on March 15 through the CSK app, the official website, and the district app.
Additionally, the event is likely to start at 4 PM and last till 9 PM, while the complete programme is designed as a large-scale fan experience inside Chepauk Stadium.
CSK CEO, Kasi Viswanathan, on reunion event
As per business standards, during the announcement of the event, he said the function is intended as a formal season launch and a celebration of the franchise’s long-standing connections with its loyal fans.
He said, “It is just a pre-launch for the season and an exercise in fan engagement. There is nothing more to read into it.”
World Cup Winners join the CSK camp
Members of India’s T20 World Cup-winning side in the CSK team are also likely to have joined preparations. Sanju Samson and Shivam Dube, who played a crucial role in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, have already been training in Chennai since the start of March 2026.
Also Read: ‘CSK is Incomplete Without MS Dhoni’: Former Teammate’s Bold IPL 2026 Claim Goes Viral
CSK Schedule and Squad for IPL 2026
Here is the first phase schedule for CSK IPL 2026:
| Match | Date | Time | Venue |
| RR vs CSK | 30 March, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST | ACA Stadium, Guwahati |
| CSK vs PBKS | 3 April, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai |
| RCB vs CSK | 5 April, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST | M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru |
| CSK vs DC | 11 April, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai |
Source: iplt20.com
Chennai Super Kings Squad:
- Ruturaj Gaikwad(C)
- MS Dhoni
- Sanju Samson
- Dewald Brevis
- Ayush Mhatre
- Sarfaraz Khan
- Urvil Patel
- Kartik Sharma
- Shivam Dube
- Jamie Overton
- Matthew Short
- Ramakrishna Ghosh
- Prashant Veer
- Aman Hakim Khan
- Zakary Foulkes
- Rahul Chahar
- Noor Ahmad
- Akeal Hosein
- Matt Henry
- Nathan Ellis
- Khaleel Ahmed
- Mukesh Choudhary
- Anshul Kamboj
- Gurjapneet Singh
- Shreyas Gopal